


choice

by escapismandsharpobjects



Category: White Collar
Genre: Gen, Hurt Neal Caffrey, Hurt/Comfort, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:48:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25174138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/escapismandsharpobjects/pseuds/escapismandsharpobjects
Summary: for whumpmas in july day 9: choice. neal chooses, and gets shot.
Relationships: Peter Burke & Neal Caffrey
Comments: 8
Kudos: 84





	choice

**Author's Note:**

> heyo!! this is not very good and i'm sorry but i'm tired and this is the best i could do lol. also this is crazy short and i'm sorry!

“It’s your choice, Caffrey. You or him.”

Neal glares at the man, trying his best not to also stare down the barrel of his gun. He shakes his head. “You’re never gonna get away with this, you know.”

The man smiles, like he knows something Neal doesn’t. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that. And I’m not gonna ask again. You or him, Caffrey?”

“Neal...” Peter warns him, “don’t do anything stupid.”

“Okay,” Neal replies, his voice no higher than a whisper. 

“Made a choice yet?” 

Neal doesn’t answer. The man points his gun at Peter. His finger’s on the trigger...pulling back...

“Me!” Neal shouts, knowing it’s too late now for Peter’s responding shout of “No!” to do any good. 

There’s a  _ bang, _ and Neal feels something hit his shoulder. He spins slightly from the impact, and then he’s falling, and his shoulder feels like it’s on fire, and his vision goes black. 

“-al! Wake up, come on.”

“Peter?” 

“I’m here, Neal, stay with me.”

Peter is pushing on his shoulder, hard, and it feels terrible. 

“Hurts,” Neal says. “What’re you doing?”

“Stopping you from bleeding out before the ambulance gets here.”

“Oh.” He lets his eyes drift closed again. It’s too much work keeping them open, and he doesn’t like the look on Peter’s face. He looks scared, and Peter never looks scared. 

“Hey, no, open your eyes.  _ Neal. _ Open your eyes.”

Neal wrenches them open, scowling. _ “Why.” _

“So I can make sure you don’t pass out.”

“I won’t.”

“You’re damn right you won’t.”

Neal is silent for a minute, trying not to feel the way his pulse pounds in his shoulder, the way the fabric of Peter’s jacket pushes into his wound, the way the asphalt of the alleyway digs into his back. Too many sensations at once are crowding his brain, they’re all  _ too much, _ the pain is  _ too much, _ everything is  _ too much. _ He looks up at Peter’s face. He still looks scared. 

“Am I going to die?” Neal asks, his voice shaky. 

One of Peter’s hands stops pushing down on the jacket and grabs Neal’s. “No, Neal. You’re not going to die. The bullet didn’t hit any arteries. You’ll be fine.”

“Why do you look scared, then?”

Peter shakes his head. “I told you not to do anything stupid,” he says, instead of answering properly.  _ “I’m _ the FBI agent, you should have had him shoot me.”

“I couldn’t do that,” Neal replies. “I couldn’t choose to  _ hurt  _ you. He could have  _ killed  _ you.”

“He could have killed you, too!” Peter snaps. 

Neal winces, and Peter’s voice immediately softens, apologetic. “I’m sorry, Neal. But you could have died.”

“I didn’t,” Neal says, as the faint noise of an ambulance siren draws nearer. “I didn’t, and neither did you, and I know I made the right choice.”  _ Even if Peter doesn’t think so... _

Peter smiles at him, and some of the worry leaves his face. “Thank you,” he says, although there’s something in his voice which tells Neal they’re far from done talking about this. 

Neal smiles back as a couple of paramedics come hurrying over, carrying a stretcher between them. “Anytime.”

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading this!!! i know it's pretty not great but feel free to tell me ur thoughts anyway!


End file.
